From Sammy Asare, Ahafo Region.
Market Women in the Ahafo Region have appealed to the Ministry of Health(MoH) and Ghana Health Service(GHS) to intensify the education on COVID-19 disease at all market places in the region to prevent any possible outbreak of the disease in the region.
The market women in all the six assemblies namely Asunafo North, Asunafo South, Tano North, Tano South, Asutifi North and Asutifi South made this passionate appeal when AWAKE NEWS confronted them to assess their knowledge on the dreadful disease which has hit some part of the country.
According to the women who were worried due to the rate at which the disease is spreading in the country it is time the mandated institutions to give indepth education on the disease visit them often because most of the market women are not down to earth when it comes to the appropriate ways to prevent the them from contacting the disease incase it breaks out in the region.
They detailed AWAKE NEWS that about 90 percent of information available to them on CONVID-19 is as a result of them listening to radio stations but for the health professionals to come to market places the brief them with practical illustrations for better understanding is on the low. ” Our educational background is poor so giving us practicals is the best ” the market women revealed.
They explained per the nature of their work if the health professionals do not adhere to their call and incase there is an outbreak in the region they will be at risk and also transfer the virus to many people. To them although people are not attending to market places to purchase their items as before but still those who come exceed the number the country’s president said they can assemble thus 25 so it is a worrying situation.
They further said if they become well abreast with all the preventive measures concerning the disease they will also be able to educate their customers who are of little knowledge and it will help alot by keeping most people safe from the disease. The women therefore appealed to their Municipal District Chief Executives(MDCEs) to assist them have some of the Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) since they are scarce in the region.
Some of the market women at time of our visit have carbolic soaps, water, gloves, sanitizers among others but using them properly is the major challenge. Most have plastic bowls with water where they keep on washing their hands in them, nose masks are not used, gloves are not fixed, social distance among them is not observed as well as customers among others.
In the region, Goaso, Ntotroso, Hwidiem and Bechem have their market day on Tuesdays, Kenyasi and Sankore is on Thursdays whiles Ntotroso, Hwidiem, Kukuom and Duayaw Nkwata have theirs on every Friday.
